A Second Chance
by beMMADfabulous
Summary: Following a heated argument, young Charles and Elsie, who is pregnant at the time, split up, but Charles is given a chance to return a year later and be the father that he has always wanted to be. An entire story based on a dream.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Perhaps this story seems silly, but I wanted to share it anyway. It came from a particularly vivid and emotional dream I had, so I wanted to develop it into more of a proper story. I know it begins a bit strangely, but it should get better. I do hope you enjoy.**_

**A Second Chance**

"_Please. Leave._"

_The pause between her quavering words, spoken through gritted teeth, had held almost as much weight as the cutting syllables themselves. Charles instinctively took a step toward her, but the warning that flashed in her glassy eyes, as she wrapped her arms protectively around her swollen stomach and recoiled from him, stopped him in his tracks. He knew he had lost her the moment she turned away from him, her body trembling from the sobs that she could no longer conceal._

"Are you all right, Mr. Carson?" a young housemaid called Helen asked him timidly.

Charles hadn't realized how tense he had become at the recollection of the memory until he saw the concern etched upon Helen's face.

"Yes, thank you," he replied in what he hoped sounded like a calm tone. "Just a bit weary from the trip."

"All your things have been taken to your room. You should get some rest." She looked at him for a few more moments with wide, fearful eyes, as if uncertain of whether she should go on. "Mrs. Hughes... Mrs. Hughes is in her sitting room."

Helen said nothing more as she hastened from the room, leaving Charles alone with a heavy weight on his chest. Part of him wanted to run to her, yet another part, lurking in the back shadows of his conscious as he now made his way to her sitting room, was hesitant and reluctant to face her after he had all but single-handedly destroyed everything that they had shared. He wouldn't blame her for a moment if she hated him with every fibre of her being. It had begun as just another silly argument between the two of them, but somewhere it had gone all wrong. Perhaps he should have held her despite her protests, and perhaps he should have stood his ground and reminded her that he loved her...

Charles took a deep, ragged breath that did not seem to fill his lungs as he knocked lightly on her door. He raised his fist again to knock, certain that she hadn't heard him, just as the door swung open.

The air seemed to be suddenly drawn out of his lungs as Elsie's eyes met his for a brief moment before she allowed her gaze to sink to the floor. It seemed strange somehow to see her thin figure once more, since the last time he had seen her, just under a year ago, she had been glowingly heavy with child.

"Come in," she said quietly, her voice not as steady as she had intended.

Charles followed her silently into the room where she gestured for him to sit down before she stepped into another room. He clenched his sweaty hands into tight fists to stop the trembling and wished there were something he could do to silence the loud pounding of his heart. The seconds felt like hours as he waited for the familiar sound of her footsteps to return.

Elsie emerged with a tiny young lad held tightly in her arms. Charles felt a stab at his heart and a stinging at the back of his eyes as she approached him. She didn't speak as she placed the boy carefully into Charles' arms; she couldn't have spoken if she had wanted to. Tears flooded her eyes and blurred the image of her son, _their_ son, in his father's arms for the first time. She bit down on her lower lip to keep from releasing an audible cry.

Charles' throat constricted as he looked down upon their son. He recognized so much of Elsie in the boy, yet he saw himself as well.

"He's perfect," Charles whispered, lifting his eyes to Elsie's.

She nodded as fresh, warm tears trailed down her cheeks.

"Would you like to take care of him while I finish my work?" she asked in a controlled whisper.

Charles swallowed hard as the baby grasped his finger tightly in his tiny fist.

"Please."

Elsie smoothed the child's cheek with her finger and placed a soft kiss upon his forehead. Charles felt a flutter in his chest at the nearness of her. How he yearned to pull her into his arms once more...

"I'll be back as soon as I can," she told him as she moved, rather reluctantly, to the door. "The maids will come by to see if you need anything."

"I will take good care of him," Charles replied quietly.

Elsie gave him a small yet warm smile in return.

"I know you will."

**To be continued**

_**A/N: Yes, the child has a name. lol**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: I said the boy had a name; I didn't say it was creative. lol. But we'll talk more about that later.**_

**Chapter 2**

The boy had his mother's supple chin, her large blue eyes, and her flawless ivory complexion. Once more Charles felt the sting of tears pricking his eyes as the boy smiled up at him with Elsie's sweet grin.

"Have you been taking care of your beautiful mother for me, little Charles?" the father whispered down to his namesake.

Again the lad gave him Elsie's best smile.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered softly, raising the child so he could hold him against his chest.

Little Charles made a happy gurgling sound as if to say he had already forgiven his father. Charles couldn't imagine the loneliness Elsie must have felt as she gave birth to their child alone, as she nursed him alone... He remembered the countless hours he had spent with her, talking until the sun rose, holding each other until they fell asleep entangled in each other's arms. How had he managed to throw that all away?

Charles was pulled from his thoughts by a knock at the door.

"Come in," he called.

"Mr. Carson, did you need anything? Mrs. Hughes requested that I check on you and the wee one."

"We have everything we need, Rebecca. Thank you."

She smiled at him and gave a nod. Rebecca was a sweet girl with large, bright eyes and a soft voice. She was usually quiet, but when she had something to say, it was generally quite profound.

"I'm very glad to see you back," she said, looking as if worried she were talking too much. "Mrs. Hughes... she missed you very much."

Charles nodded slowly.

"I missed her as well."

This was an understatement, but he could think of no suitable words to reply. Rebecca cleared her throat and kept her eyes on the floor.

"She never stopped loving you, you know," she said quietly. "Not for a moment."

A few moments passed as Rebecca seemed to be gathering the courage to speak again.

"Charles loves you already," she told him, smiling at the child. "He seems to know you're his father."

"Really?" the older Charles replied lamely, looking down at the boy who was now snuggled sleepily into the middle of his chest.

"Yes. He isn't usually very taken with other people, especially strangers."

_Like his mother,_ Charles thought with a smile as the baby dozed quietly in his arms.

"Let me know if you need anything, Mr. Carson," Rebecca said before she turned to exit the room.

As she did so, she nearly ran into a tearful Elsie who stood waiting at the door.

"Oh, Mrs. Hughes!" she exclaimed, touching the older woman lightly on the arm.

Rebecca's large eyes shined at her with understanding and compassion. The young housemaid wanted to reach out and hug her, but she knew it would not be proper. Mrs. Hughes nodded at her in appreciation before Rebecca hurried from the room.

"You're back sooner than expected," Charles observed quietly, careful to not wake the sleeping child in his arms.

"I finished early," Elsie replied simply, lost again in the view before her of their son in his father's arms.

"I'm glad," he said softly.

A sweet, shy smile formed at her lips as she sank down in the seat across from him.

"He does love you very much already," she told him, echoing Rebecca's words from before without an attempt to conceal the fact that she had been listening at the door.

"He is so much like you," Charles marveled as the baby sighed in his sleep.

"He is an awful lot like you as well," she said with a small laugh.

She thought of little Charles' sweet disposition and his fondness for cuddling...

"May I keep him tonight?" Charles asked suddenly. "I'm sure you could use the extra rest."

He wasn't ready to be away from his son again, not even for a few hours; it was painful enough to have to be away from her, though he was certain she wanted nothing to do with him, so he would not press her in that matter.

Elsie shook her head.

"No?"

"No. But you may stay here with us."

**To be continued**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When Elsie returned from nursing the baby, Charles was already creating a makeshift bed for himself out of several layers of blankets that she had stored in the closet. She watched him for a moment, hating the foolish regret that nibbled at her, the quiet desire to have her him beside her again in her own bed rather than all the way across the room... Surely she hadn't really meant this as such an invitation as that. Though it was true that he was still her husband, there were too many boundaries between them now, ones which she herself had created and dared not cross, at least not yet.

"If you would like to sleep in my bed," Elsie offered. "I can sleep there on the floor."

Charles chuckled at her kind innocence.

"A lady never sleeps on the floor."

"Good, because I'm no lady," Elsie spoke with mock indignation.

"You've always been a lady to me," Charles replied softly.

She felt silly as her cheeks flushed pink. He always had a way of saying just the thing to get under her skin - good or bad, though the good almost always outweighed the bad.

Charles leaned down and kissed the baby's forehead as he absentmindedly stroked his soft, thin hair.

"May I put him to bed?" he asked.

Elsie nodded and carefully placed little Charles into his father's arms. The same heartbreaking tenderness gripped her now as it did the first time she witnessed him holding their child. Charles kissed the boy again before laying him down and tucking him into the soft blankets. He down smiled to the sleepy baby, who made quiet, happy gurgling noises at him.

"I wish I hadn't missed so much already," Charles said, his voice hushed and heavy with emotion as he still looked down at the boy.

Elsie swallowed hard as bitter memories flashed back to her. She blinked hard to fight the threatening tears as she strived to keep a straight face as Charles turned to her.

"He's wonderful," he marveled once more, apparently oblivious to Elsie's triggered distress.

"He is," she spoke in a small, strained voice. She added a smile so that he would not be concerned. If he couldn't see her pain, then she certainly didn't want to share it with him. "Goodnight, Charles."

Charles was stirred from his sleep by a soft noise in the dim room. For a moment, he wasn't certain whether there had been a noise at all or if he had simply dreamed it. Silence rang in his ears as he listened carefully for the sound. His weary eyes blinked languidly as they adjusted to the darkness. He sat up as soon as he heard the noise again, this time clearer and with no uncertainty as to what it could be. Charles knew that sound; it was one that hurt him, frightened him, and shook him to the core. In a sleepy, yet suddenly very alert, daze, he rose unsteadily to his feet. Another sharp gasp, a whimper, and a sniff cut him like a freshly sharpened blade.

"Elsie," he whispered, nearing the bed where she lay curled in a tight ball, as if she were trying to take up as little space as possible. "Please don't cry."

She sniffed again, and her body shuddered as she released another sob. He leaned down beside her, battling the urge to scoop her into his arms.

"I'm so sorry," he said, daring to reach out and touch her trembling shoulder.

To his surprise, Elsie grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. She pulled him into her as he slipped his arms around her shaking body. His heart pounded as he lay down on the bed and allowed her to cradle herself against him. Charles shivered as her soft breaths teased the tender skin of his bare neck, and he knew that all hope for a full night's sleep was suddenly thrown away...

**To be continued**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Charles was torn as Elsie pulled herself closer into his arms so that there was no longer any space between the two of them; he felt guilty that he had no doubt caused her these tears (and more tears over the past year than he would ever be able to count, he knew), and he felt guilty because of the way his mind and body were reacting to the closeness of her now. After all this time, he still hadn't forgotten the feel of her body pressed against his, her arms clinging around him, her soft hair tickling his chin as she buried her face in his neck... but now was not the time for intimacy; he wasn't sure if it would ever be time for _that _again.

Elsie's tears slowed after several minutes, and her breathing grew soft as she relaxed and drifted to sleep in Charles' arms. He continued to rub her back tenderly even after he was certain she was no longer awake, as the repetitive motion had a strangely soothing effect on him as well. Resolved to the fact that he was not getting out of the bed that night, Charles reached for the blanket to cover Elsie's chilled bare arms. As he did so, she stirred and whimpered softly.

"Don't go," she whispered hoarsely, pulling on the sleeve of his nightshirt.

"I'm not going anywhere," he assured her as he covered her with the blanket.

Elsie sighed and reclaimed her place snuggled closely against Charles' warm body. He wasn't certain he should allow her to remain so near, but he couldn't bring himself to even consider abandoning her again.

Charles drifted in and out of sleep through the night. Various dreams haunted his brief moments of slumber, but all of them were of Elsie. He often awoke startled to find that she was truly in his arms; he had thought for certain that he would eventually awaken to realize that it had all been a mockingly sweet and fleeting dream. Charles was mindful of the time he was able to spend with her in his arms, as he doubted that he would ever get to experience it again.

Several restless hours passed until morning broke, bringing with it sweet, happy noises from little Charles. The older Charles reluctantly pulled himself out of sleeping Elsie's grasp and slipped out of the bed.

"Good morning, son," he whispered as he picked up the baby and cradled him closely against his chest.

He marveled at the way the child had slept peacefully through the night; he had heard numerous horror stories of babies crying all night and parents who didn't get a full night's sleep for at least a couple years.

Charles quietly sat down on the bed and lay the baby down beside his mother. The boy reached out and placed his hand on Elsie's cheek. Her eyelashes fluttered open, and she smiled sleepily at him.

"Good morning," she said to Charles.

"Good morning," he replied as she sat up in bed. "How did you sleep?"

Elsie dropped her head slightly as her cheeks flushed. Truth be told, she had a better night's rest in his arms than she had in all the time he had been gone.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, keeping her eyes focused on the wrinkled bed sheet.

"Don't apologize," he replied softly.

He felt the chill between them as he watched her pick up little Charles. He knew that she was thankful it was time to feed him because it would give her an escape from addressing the tension between them. He, however, was weary of avoiding the topic.

"Elsie," he spoke, looking up at her with saddened eyes. "Where did we go wrong?"

**To be continued**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: The italicized parts are obviously the memory.**

**Chapter 5**

Little Charles started to cry. Elsie held him closer to her and wondered if, in addition to being hungry, he sensed the tension between his father and mother.

"_What happened to us?"_

Charles' question seemed to echo in her ears.

"I have to feed my child," she responded flatly.

"_Our_ child," Charles reminded her.

Elsie's lips pulled into a dangerously thin line, but she did not reply. He leaned forward to caress the crying baby's cheek, but she backed away out of his reach. He yearned to go after her as she left to feed little Charles, but he knew better than to do such a thing.

Charles sank onto the bed with a heavy sigh. Soon, however, he found himself anxiously pacing the floor as he waited for her to return.

When Elsie returned with the baby, she seemed to be making a conscious effort to remain as far away from Charles as possible.

"Elsie..."

"I'll take the baby to Rebecca," she said in a small, strained voice, "and then we can talk."

Charles partially expected her to leave and not return but was thankful when she, looking flustered and somehow out of breath, finally did. However, he found himself frustrated with the distance she still maintained from him. He watched her chest rise and fall as she sighed audibly.

"Don't you remember?" she asked, her weak voice cracking with emotion as the memories flooded back to her.

"_I'm not certain I'm ready to be a father," Charles admitted quietly._

"_It's a little late for that now," Elsie snapped. "You can't simply take it back."_

"_Bound to the consequences of our actions..."_

"_Our child is a 'consequence'?" she nearly shouted._

_Charles averted his eyes from her._

"_It's not easy being married to me, is it?" she cried. "You take what you want from me but don't want to take responsibility for the 'consequences'."_

"_I never said that," he said helplessly. _

"_There's a lot you've never said..." she spoke slowly._

"_What do you want from me?"_

"_I don't think I know anymore."_

"_Sometimes I don't know what I'm doing here," he admitted._

_Elsie had hoped that their love would have been enough; perhaps she had been wrong all along. He clearly didn't want their child, and he didn't seem to want her either._

"_Far be it from me to keep you here against your will, Charles," she replied almost mockingly. _

"_Elsie..."_

"_Please. Leave."_

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, feeling a pain shoot through his chest as she began to cry once more.

"I never wanted you to go," she said. "I had hoped you were happy."

"I _was_ happy," he urged.

Elsie sniffed.

"Yes, before our 'consequence'."

"You don't think I love our son?"

"You said you didn't want him."

"I said I wasn't certain I was ready to be a father, not because I didn't want a child but because I truly feared I would fail at it."

Elsie hastily wiped away her stubborn tears.

"Why would you ever think such a thing?"

"I wasn't responsible enough for a child of my own," he explained. "All I knew was that I loved you and wanted to be with you; I was selfish enough to think that a baby would take away from that."

Elsie felt the hot, wet sting of tears once again.

"And now?" she asked quietly, trying hard to control her voice.

Charles looked ashamed.

"I hadn't realized I could love anyone as much as I love _both_ of you. I didn't know that my love for our child could somehow make me love you more, but it has. I _do_ still love you, Elsie; I never stopped loving you."

He felt a burden lift from his chest, yet still he feared her reaction.

"I can't imagine that makes up for me leaving," he went on, "and I won't stay if you don't want me."

Charles' heart seemed to beat irregularly and his breaths grew labored as he continued to wait for her response. Her expression, usually so easily readable, was all but blank. Her eyes were wide and bright with unshed tears. He swallowed hard and gave a nod.

"I understand..."

"No!" she interjected, taking a small step forward. "I do. I want you to stay."

**To be continued**


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: This is a very short "filler" chapter, but I wanted to go ahead and publish it even though not much happens here (so I'm not expecting many reviews for this chapter, and I understand), but more is coming for the next chapter! Promise!

Chapter 6

"I hope he didn't give you any trouble," Elsie said as she took her son from Rebecca's arms.

"Oh, not at all," the young maid replied earnestly. "Little Charles is always such a pleasure to look after."

Rebecca could not help but notice the bright smile that Elsie was obviously trying to conceal.

"Did your talk go well?" Rebecca asked, a grin of her own playing at her rosy lips.

"Yes, I think so," Elsie answered quietly.

"I hope you asked Mr. Carson to stay," Rebecca said quickly. "He cares for you and little Charles so very much. He's a wonderful man."

Realizing that she had said too much yet again, Rebecca lowered her head and took a small step backward. Elsie, however, did not seem to mind and instead nodded and gave the girl a warm smile.

"He is," she agreed.

Rebecca found herself curious as a result of Elsie's short, simple answers, but she knew better to press her for more information than she willingly offered. The young girl absentmindedly ran her fingers through the baby's fine hair.

"Thank you for taking care of him," Elsie said.

"My pleasure," Rebecca replied. "If you and Mr. Carson would like more time alone, I would be glad to take care of him again... day or night."

Elsie bit her bottom lip to refrain from laughing at her suggestion.

"Perhaps I'll take you up on that offer," she said with a sly smile.

To be continued


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Charles sat on the bed with his forearms resting on his knees. Anxiety seemed to twist around his throat and swell within the confines of his chest as he awaited her return. Still, even after the recent apparent amelioration of their renewing relationship, the fear of her somehow leaving and deciding not to return still lay heavy and burdening within him. The sight of her coming through the door with little Charles in her arms, therefore, made for a great relief. She flashed him a small yet lovely smile that gripped his heart in a startlingly different way than the worry had.

"I think he missed you," Elsie said as she sat down beside Charles and carefully placed their son into his open arms.

Charles had the sudden urge to hold both of them together in his arms but was certain it was still too early for such an advance, or even the mere suggestion of it, toward her. She did not miss the tiredness in Charles' eyes and in his movements as he smiled at the baby and gently held him against his chest where he seemed to belong. Even little Charles released a great yawn as he rested his chubby cheek against his father's shoulder.

"It looks like someone is ready for his nap," Elsie laughed softly.

"As am I," Charles replied, giving a yawn that matched his son's.

She smiled at him before she slipped off the bed to her feet.

"You two go ahead and get in bed. I just need to check with Helen that everything is running smoothly without me."

"You will come back, won't you?" he asked, giving her a weak half smile.

The tone of his voice was teasing, but part of him was relieved to finally speak the fear that had been gnawing at him for so long.

Elsie turned back on her heel to face him again.

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

He shrugged, uncertain of how to explain.

She paused for a moment as she began to understand his fear. When she spoke, she did so adamantly, making certain that he did not doubt her meaning; she had no intention of leaving him now.

"I'm not going anywhere.

**To be continued**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

By the time Elsie had returned, Charles was already sound asleep with little Charles snuggled close against his chest. She was quiet as she tiptoed across the room, sat down on the bed, and slipped under the cool bedsheets. Little Charles sighed in his sleep as she moved closer to him.

Elsie felt her body relax as she watched the gentle rise and fall of father and son's chests as they slept peacefully beside her. She felt the drag of sleep on her eyelids, and just as her eyes fluttered closed, she felt movement in the bed. She opened her eyes to Charles' warm, sleepy smile as he propped up on his elbow.

"We missed you," he whispered.

Elsie laughed softly at his drowsy confession. She held her breath as he reached over and took her hand within his own. She flashed a grin as she squeezed his hand nervously but affectionately. The brightness that shined in his eyes thrilled her yet terrified her all the same. She now felt so torn toward him in everything; it was a constant, heavy burden, and she wondered if she would ever feel comfortable enough to fully trust him again. Charles saw the discomfort in her eyes and removed his hand from hers. Elsie felt her body relax somewhat as he did so, and she hated herself for it.

The baby sighed in his sleep once more, and Charles responded by pulling him closer in his arms and kissing him softly on the forehead.

"_I love you_," Elsie heard Charles whisper to their son.

She felt a tug at her heart as she remembered the way those words sounded when he had spoken them to her so long ago. She could even still recall the way those very words tasted on her tongue when she had spoken them back to him; now she seemed to only say them in the fleeting sweetness of her dreams. How she longed to taste those delicious, filling words once more...

"Why did you name him after me... after all that happened between us?" he asked quietly. "I'm honored."

He added the last two words as almost an afterthought as a glint of fresh tears welled in his eyes. Elsie took a deep breath but did not release it right away and she moved so that she was lying on her back. Exhaling slowly, she stared blankly up at the ceiling. She knew he was going to ask sooner or later.

"I wanted our son to always feel connected to his father even if he wouldn't be near him," she replied in a small voice. "I wanted to always feel as though a small part of you were still around..."

"Did you ever regret it?" Charles asked after a moment.

Elsie turned her head toward him so that their eyes met.

"Never."

A few moments of silence rang between them. It was Charles who broke the quiet tension.

"I've been thinking that perhaps the three of us could go on a picnic tomorrow, if you'd like," he said sleepily.

A small smile spread onto Elsie's lovely lips.

"I would like that very much," she replied.

"I look forward to it," he said, his voice lower now than before.

She watched as his eyelashes fluttered until his eyes finally shut and his breathing slowed and steadied to match the baby's. Elsie, however, felt anything but tired as her mind raced with thoughts and her chest stirred with conflicting feelings. She thought about tomorrow's picnic with honest pleasant anticipation, but on the other hand, as there was always another side of her thoughts, she wondered if Charles would want to sleep this way during the night as well. This latter thought was particularly poignant, as if it were so, it would most certainly be a very long and troublesome night...

**To be continued**


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